The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference

It almost didn’t happen, but now here we are: COP 25, the last chance for nations around the globe to negotiate the details of their commitments to the Paris Agreement and lock into their pledges. Leaders are congregating in Madrid at this event held by the Presidency of Chile to finalize policies that will ensure the climate action we so desperately need actually materializes. The world is watching.

IISD is at COP 25, too. We have experts ready to speak to journalists about what’s happening and why it matters. We will have daily reports from the conference. We’re hosting a COP 25 half-time show (a free webinar for those who need to catch up). We have research, insight and analysis, and tweets.

And if you still have questions, let us know: media@iisd.org.

IISD at COP 25

Come visit us at Booth #14 on Dec. 4 and 5, in the Exhibit Hall (see a venue map here). We’ll have lots of information about what we do, new research materials, friendly staff knowledgeable in all areas of sustainable development, and probably a bowl of candy.

Experts from our Resilience team – specifically our NAP Global Network – have a packed agenda, which you can see here. They are especially looking forward to a few events, namely:

Enhancing the engagement of the private sector in adaptation planning and implementation
When: 13:15–14:45, Monday, December 9
Where: Room 6
Organizer: UNFCCC Secretariat
Description: This side event aims to advance the work on engagement by validating an upcoming toolkit, prepared in collaboration with the NAP Global Network and Winrock International, which enables policy-makers to more effectively collaborate with the private sector, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in adaptation planning and implementation.

A Gender-Responsive Process to Formulate and Implement National Adaptation Plans: Launch of a new toolkit
When: 10:30–11:30, Tuesday, December 10
Where: UNFCCC Pavilion
Organizers: LEG, AC, NAP Global Network
Description: This event will launch a toolkit designed to support country efforts to pursue a gender-responsive NAP process. This toolkit is a joint publication of the Adaptation Committee (AC) and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG), under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and NAP Global Network.

How National Adaptation Plan Processes Can Be Leveraged for Implementation of the Paris Agreement
When: 15:00–16:30, Tuesday, December 3
Where: Room 1
Organizers: Government of Grenada; IISD
Description: This event will focus on how developing countries’ NAP processes can be leveraged to address multiple commitments under the Paris Agreement, including NDC enhancement and Adaptation Communications. Links to other parts of the 2030 agenda will also be explored.

National Visions for Adaptation Action: Lessons from Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria
When: 9:00–10:00, Saturday, December 7
Where: NDC Partnership Pavilion
Organizer: NAP Global Network Secretariat, IISD
Description: Many countries in the earlier stages of their National Adaptation Plan processes are choosing to develop NAP Frameworks—a strategic document that outlines the vision and structure for the NAP process, articulating why it is important and how it complements other elements of the climate and development policy suite in the country. This event will share country experiences from Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria with developing NAP frameworks, focusing on how these have advanced adaptation planning processes and set the stage for effective adaptation planning and implementation.

Representatives from our Energy team will also be at COP 25. Lourdes Sanchez will be at the Global Climate and Health Summit as well as the session “Monitoring Progress in Health and Climate Change” to highlight the health co-benefits of climate action and fossil fuel subsidies phase out.

Meanwhile, Laura Merrill will be taking part in the following event, co-organized by IISD: 

Raising NDC Ambition to Reach Climate Action Goals: Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Energy Pricing and Swaps
When: 11:30–12:30, Thursday, December 5
Where: Nordic Pavilion in Hall 6, at IFEMA (Metro 8, Stop: Feria de Madrid)
Organizers: Nordic Council of Ministers; IISD
Description: How much can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we raise ambition with second-generation Nationally Determined Contributions? This panel and discussion setting will focus on sharing lessons on fossil fuel subsidy reform and pricing based on country experience.

And as a reminder that the Energy team doesn’t just sit behind desks researching fossil fuels, our very own Lourdes Sanchez will be taking part in Moving for Climate NOW, a 1,100 km bike ride between Seville, Spain, and Marrakech, Morocco, all to support climate action. We’ll be following her progress on social media; stay tuned for updates!